Fishing-reel



No. 625,!66. Patentdd May I6, 189.9.

J. T. HASTlNGS.

Flsmne nEL.

(Appxiemon med nu. ne, 1598,)

(llo Model.)

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES T. HASTINGS, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. b

FISHING-REEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 625,166, dated May 16, 1899.

' Application tiled March 28, 1898. Serial No. 675,404. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, .IAMEs T. HAsTINGs, a

Acitizen of the United States, residing at Chiwhereby the reel proper may be wholly disconnected from the mechanism by which it is revolved in the process of winding up the line, to the end that the resistance to its rotation may be reduced to amin-imum. This is im: portant in casting, since any resistance to the free rotation of the reel tends to limit the throw. I am aware that it is not broadly new to provide a shingreel with means for thus disconnecting the reel proper from the winding mechanism, and hence I do not claim such, broadly, as my invention, the object of which is to provide an improved reel ot' this class.

In accomplishing this object I provide means` for maintaining the reel proper and the winding mechanism normally in operative relation to each other, so that when the winding mechanism is operated the reel will be revolved, and I provide automatically-operating means for locking them in this relation, so that they cannot be accidentally disconnected by any manipulation of the winding mechanism. I provide also means adapted to be operated by pressure exerted by the thumb or finger upon a conveniently-disposed part, whereby the parts may be unlocked and the wheel and its windingmechanism disconnected, leaving;

the reelperfectly free to revolve, and means for automatically connecting them immediately upon the removal of the force that disconnects them. I provide also means under the control of the operator for locking the partsin either of the two described relationsf. c., with the reel and its winding mechanism either connected or disconnected, as may be desired.

The invention consists in the features of novelty that are herein fully described, and

Vin order that it may be fully understood I will describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof, and in which-v requirements of the invention.

Figure l is a perspective View of a reel embodying the invention and of a portion of a iishing-rod to which it is attached, together with a hand illustrating the manner of hold-v ing the rod and manipulating the reel in the act of casting. Fig. 2 is an end elevation, on a somewhat larger scale, of a reel embodying the invention, with the head of the reel-trame and the parts lying outside of it removed.-

Fig;u 3 is a section thereof on the line 3 3, Fig.

2, looking in the direction of the arrow.

A represents the reel proper, mounted torevolve in a suitable frame I3, which maybe of any desired construction that will meet the As shown in the drawings, it consists of a head b, a ring b', a number of rods Ab2 connecting them, and a head b3, secured to the ring b'. The heads b b3 carry bearings b4, only one of which is seen in the drawings, in which theprojecting extremities ot of the reel-shaft are journaled. The ring b is preferably cast,and integral with it is a frame b5, shaped to provide means for supporting the parts hereinafter described.

C is a pinion fixed to the shaft a, and D is a larger pinion fixed to a shaft E, which, in turn, is mounted and carried by a yolie F; This yoke is made up of a'pair'of levers disposed upon opposite sides of one of the branches of the frame b5, and between them the pinion D is disposed. At one end the yoke is pivoted to one of the branches ofthe frame b5, as shown at G, and at the other end it is pivotally connected to one end of a thrustrod I-I, as shown at I. The ring proper, b', is interrupted, as shown at h6, for the passage of this thrust-rod, rbut opposite this interrupted portion it is provided with a deflected portion 197, forming a hood, which covers and conceals Vthe end of the thrust-rod.` At its outer end .the thrust-rod is' provided with a transverse rod h, which extendsto the head b, its end Working in a slot therein, and between the two heads the rod h is provided with a wing h', adapted to be borne upon by the thumb. The thrust-rod,and consequently the movable parts connected with it, are constan-t1y, under the influence of a spring J, which tends to hold the parts in the `positions shown by full lines in Fig. 2-z`. e., with the IOO laterally by a downward pressure upon it.

Such initial lateral m ovement of the th rust-rod will free its shoulder h2 from engagement with the tooth K, whereupon the rod is Afree to be moved endwise, and such endwise movement will carry it and the movable parts connected with it to the positions indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. This moves the pinions C and D out of mesh, and thereby entirely disconnects the reel proper from its winding mechanism. It will be observed that the movable pinion D and the exposed wing or thumbpiece 71, are located upon opposite sides ofthe fixed pinion C. The advantage of this disposition of the parts is that it enables the use of comparatively 'few parts of simple construction for transmitting the movement oi' the thumb-piece tothe 'movable pinion in the act of throwing the reel proper out of gear with the windingmechanism. This winding mechanism may within the scope of my invention be of any desired construction. In

the drawings I have shown it as consisting of the pinion D, the shaft E,.and a crank L. In

' order to permit of the necessary lateral movement of the shaft E, the head b3 is provided with a slot 128, and in order to close or partly close this slot the shaft E outside of the head is surrounded by a sleeve M, having at its inner end a flange m, lying against the head h3.

The shoulder h2 and tooth K constitute an automaticallyoperating lock for normally holding the reel proper and the winding mechanism in operative `relation to each other, and

its character is such that no amount of strain put upon the winding mechanism through g the medium of its shaft E can disengage the shoulder from the tooth and thus permit the winding mechanism and the reel to be disconnected.

When itis not desired to disconnect the reel and its winding mechanism, the parts may be permanently locked'in the positions shown by 3 full lines by means of a cam N, which is adapted to engage the thrust-rod H and which is iy provided with an exposed milled head at, by

which it may be turned to engage or disengage the thrust-rod'. As shown by full lines, l the cam is out of engagement with the thrustrod, leaving the latter free to be operated by 1 pressure upon the wing h in the manner described. When, however, the cam is turned tween the cam and shoulder, and thereby locked into position to hold the reel and winding mechanism disconnected, leaving the reel perfectly free to rotate.

In order to reduce to a minimum the frictional contact between the pinions C and D, I provide a stop for limiting their approach and preventing one from bearing against the other, while at the same time permitting their teeth to intermesh. This stop may be a iixed one; but as this would require considerable nicety in the construction of the parts I prefer to use an adjustable stop, which, as shown in the drawings, consists of a screw O, occupying a threaded perforation in a lug o and having its end so disposed that the yoke, under the influence of the spring J, will bear upon it and the pinions will be held in the described relation.

I have described the member D of the winding mechanism as being carried by a yoke, but I desire to have it understood that this term as used in this speciiication is intended .to comprehend any movable part so constructed and disposed that it will provide means for supporting the member D or its equivalent and enable it to be moved into or out of engagement with the member C or its equivalent.

I'Iaving thus described my invention, 4the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. In a fishing-reel, the combination with the reel proper, a winding-crank, and means for transmitting motion from the crank to the reel,said transmitting meansiucludingaixed pinion and a movable pinion adapted to be moved into or out of mesh with the fixed pinion, of an exposed thumb-piece disposed in position to receive downward pressure from the thumb, means for transmitting the movement from said exposed thumb-piece to the movable pinion, whereby the pinions are moved out of mesh, and means for automatically returning the pinions into mesh immediately upon the removal of the pressure from the thumb-piece, the movable pinion and the thumb-piece being disposed upon opposite sides of the fixed pinion,- substantially as set forth.

2. In a fishing-reel, the combination with the reel proper and a winding-crank, of means for transmitting motion from the crank to the reel, said means including a pinion carried by the reel-shaft and a movable pinion adapted to be moved into or out of mesh with the pinion on the reel-shaft, a pivoted yoke to which the movable pinion is journaled, the pivotal axis of the yoke being parallel with the axes of the pinions whereby the movement of the n yoke about its pivotal axis moves the pinions into or out of mesh, as the case may be, a means, including a spring, for holding the pinions normally in mesh and for automatically returning them to normal position imlnediately upon the removal of the force that IOO IIO

yoke F to which the pinion D is journaled,

said yoke being movable for the purpose of carrying the pinion D into or out of mesh with the pinion C, means including a spring `for holding the pinions normally in mesh and for automatically returning them to normal position immediately upon the removal of the force that moved them therefrom, an exposed thumb-piece disposed opposite the rear side of the reel proper and means for transmitting the downward movement of said thumb-piece to the yoke whereby the pinion D is moved out of mesh with the pinion C, substantially as set'forth.

4. In a fishing-reel, the combinationwith the reel proper, a winding-crank and means for transmitting themovement from the Winding-crank to the reel, said means including a pair of pinions one of which is movable toward and from the other, of means for holding said pinions normally in mesh and for automatically returning them to normal position immediately upon the removal of the force that moved them therefrom, a thumbpiece d isposed opposite the rear side of the reel proper and extending lengthwise thereof from head to head whereby it is adapted to be conveniently reached and pressed by the thumb and means for transmitting the downward movement of said thumb-piece to the the reel proper and the winding mechanism,

of a movable yoke carrying the winding meehanism, a thrust-rod connected with the yoke and carrying an exposed part, said rod being capable of both lateral and endwise movement, and means for preventing initial endwise movement of the thrust-rod, substantially as set forth.

6. In a fishing-reel, the combination with the reel proper and the winding mechanism, of a pivoted yoke carrying the winding mechanism, a thrust-rod pivotally connected with the yoke and carrying an exposed part, said rod being capable of both lateral and endwise movement, means for preventing initial endwise movement of the thrust-rod, and a spring for holding the parts normally in such positions that the reel and winding mechanism are in operative relation to each other, substantially as set forth.

7. In a fishing-reel, the combination of the reel proper, a pinion carried by its shaft, a second pinion meshing therewith, a movable yoke carrying the second pinion, means for revolving the second pinion, a th rust-rod piv- .otally connected to the movable yoke and carrying an exposed part, said thrust-rod being capable of both lateral and endwise movement, means for preventing initial endwise movement of the thrust-rod and permitting rst its lateral and then its endwise movement, whereby the yoke may be moved to disengage the pinions, and a spring holding the parts normally in such positions that the pinions intermesh, substantially as set forth.

JAMES T. HASTINGS.

Witnesses:

L. M. HOPKINS, N. C. GRIDLEY.'

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